Nventdr



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

L. J. MILLER. PNEUMAIIO TIRE,

Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

MILLER PNEUMATIG TIRE.

Patented Jan. 5-, 1897.

-. portion of said pneumatic tire as appearing LElVIS J. MILLER, OF BERGEN, EEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR 'iO ()lil/liilllfi J. iilli'illlillli. AND GEORGE l VHEDRICH, OF SAME l-IACE.

SEECIFICATEQH forming part of Letters Patent No. ii'mfidd, dated January 5,

Application filed Ucrober 18, 1895.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Belt known that l, LEWIS J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bergen, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Tires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Whicl1- Figure 1 is a conjoint plan and sectional view of a portion of my annular continuous tire as appearing when that portion of the tread resting on the ground or away therefrom is non-compressed and perfectly cylindrical; Fig. 2, a transverse section through the same as disposed in aforestated attitude; Fig. 3, a conjoint plan and sectional View of a when that tread part bearing directly on the ground is flattened or partially compressed through pressure; Fig. i, a transverse section thereof in said stated presentz-ttion; Fig. 5, a rear face view, with a part of backing-canvas broken away, of parLi-length of the maillike protective or non-puncturable strip-like covering embodied in the construction of my tire as appearing transversely rounded; Fig. 6, a like representation of aforesaid in a flattened attitude; Fig. '7, an enlarged transverse section of the protective flexible strip as disposed in Fig. 5; Fig. 8, an enlarged trans verse section of the stated strip as disposed in Fig. 6, said mail-like strip carrying a bacl ing, being in the four before-referred-to views delineated as segregated from the other portions entering into the construction of my improved airfilled tire. Fig. 9 is an exceedingly-enlarged detail of a fragment of my mail-like strip in plan, looking at its front or tread; Fig. 10, a greatly-enlarged detail, in isometric, of one of similarly-formed outer or tread plates or scales entering into the formation of the metallic protective strip; and Fig. 11 is a corresponding detail, isometric, of one of the inside plates or scales which, with others of like form, enters intov the for mation of the defensive hand.

Similarlctters and figures of reference in.-

TiSUT Serial No. 566,065 ilo modeh dicate corresponding parts throughout several. views of the drawings.

llly invention relates to that class of tires comprising either single or double of elastic material containing compressed. air and commonly denominated pneumatic tires.

The object of my invention is the production of a tire of the species referred t upplicahlc to the rims of hieycleuvheels and analogous vehicles that is of such novel useful construction as will absolutely preclude the possibility of the pointed ends tacks, nails, do, or the sharp or ragged of stones, from penetrating suflicientiy through either a single or double tube pneir niatic tire to create such puncturing as w' admit of the csnaping of air from we e tube and consequent collapse of the tire; and my aim in particular is in such construction the utilization of a protective strip or band of mail-like formation and requisite flexibility composed of metallic plates or scales so coacting that said strip will act asa barrier to any penetration past it under any of the ordinary conditions attendant on the piercing of tires by tacks, 85c. and, i'urthcrmore, the purpose of my invention is the attainnient of simple, durable, and satisfactory protective and defensive means incorporated. in and combineduith the Wrapper or shoe of a tubular-like tire satisfactorily fulfilling all the requirements essential to the rendering of the air-tube puncture-proof.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction, operation, and adaptability hereinafter described, and specifically 61111111 erated in the clauses of are claim hereto annexed. .1

It is constructed as follows: 1 denotes the customary rim of the wheel of a bicycle or other light vehicle-in this e:-:empliiication a Wood rim being shown --and 2 the usual spokes leading from the rim to the hub.

A indicates the commonly-employed shoe or Wrapper of a pneumatic tire, in this instancerepresentcd as laced envelop or shoc of tubular shape and glued or otherwise sooured to the rim 1, said shoe or wrapper he 1:0

Ling herein shown as comprising cxteriorly a tubular-like layer a, of india-ruhber or other 2 I I emcee elastic material of some thickness, and then interior-1y a tube-like layer of canvas 5, a r-- 5 material a, so arranged as to leave an annular open space along the tread portion; A, my flexible metallic protective strip or band, seated in the space .9 left between the separated parallel edges of the layer 0 and in an nular manner extending continuously around the tire, and of a width preferably somewhat wider than that of the tread or bearing portion of the shoe or wrapper A, i'. 6., that portion of the shoes periphery traveling in contact with the ground incidental to a Wl1eels revolving, the said protective strip being composed of a series of metallic plates or scales backed by a retainingdayer of canvas or other fabric, while d denotes the internal tubularshaped layer of canvas covering smoothly tho longitudinally-split layer 0 and the back of the mail-like protective strip A, and which is, by adhesive means, i'hor oughly attached to the aforestated. 25

Removably occupying the interior or ann ular-like cylindrical bore of the wrapper or shoe A and extending in a continuous man-- comprises botlran inner and an outer or external layer of conjointly conuected plates or i scales 3 4, respectively, and which are so hinged one to another as permits of the ment or. curvilinear-like bending of the strip of aggregated scales transversely throughout its annular extent, as well as a substantially flat-like or level disposition of said metallic strip simultaneously with the flattening of thetread of the other portions of the map- I per or shoe A when bearing on the ground and thcreatpartially compressed by reason of the weight of; the occupant of a bicycle or other vehicle, while, furthermore, the connection of the series of plates il t is such as ioallow of an infinitesimal play or move ment longitudinally the strip, 1'. 8., contraction and elongation lengthwise, the purpose ivhereof will later be made evident.

The inner or rear plates or scales 3, arranged as represented, all. slightly overlap in one longitudinaldircction, as indicated at o,

- i while theforward or outer plates or scales also lie slightly overlappingly in one direction longitudinally the strip formation, as do noted at p.

; Normally, that is to say, when there is no compression of any selected portion of the ugreg'ated metallic scales l, which. interstices are thoroughly closed through the longitudinal'apnroaching and V sing together of the aggregation of scales or plates by reason of the longitudinal contracting of the said strip at its lower earth-contiguous portion, incidental to the flattening of the underlying part of the shoe or Wrapper A and contraction thereof caused by the Weight said Wrapper and inclosed air-tube is subjected to in the travclingof the rider-occupied bicycle or analogous vehicle.

The contour of the respective external plates or scales at is that of a t'urtleback or oval, each plate having lateral prongs f f and also one'at an end g, and provided at the other extremity with a small elongated aperture or in terstice e, h retofore referred to in a general Way.

The prong g of, each plate 4; is inserted through the aperture 6 of the companion plate creating a loose joint,-the'aperture in the several plates being transverse to the plates length and sufficiently large to permit of requisitc play, the respective interstices e practically being closed when the metallic strip A is contracted by reason of the then snug closure by the/penetrating hoolcbent prongs, as may readily be perceived from the draw-v ings. I

v The inner or backing plates flare respectively of an oval contour, and are severally providedwith a central orifice it, slightly elongated in the direction. of the plates length. The forward facescalesdare connected with the underlying scales 3 by means of the contiguous side prongs fof each .of the transversely-parallel scales 4, passing through, side by side, an orifice h ofthe under scale Sand bent over the back thereof in opposite directions, and so on through the series. As 1s clearly shown, the series of plates 3 lie intermcdiately the plates 4:. Moreover, the said metallic scales, preferably struck out by suitin rcfcrabl consistin of a la er of canvas Y of the same width asthe metallic portion and continuous therewith and. held tothescalolike strip A, and the sa ineretainedfacingly thereto by means of the outer lateral prongs r f of the boundary edge located metal scales l being bent around the parallel edges of the textile backing"; and clenched over same,the'

function of. the said side fa'stenings being to so retain the series of scales with the backin g that any disengagement of one scale from another will be an impossibility.

llhilc the additional weight conveyed to a customary twenty-cight-inch tire by the iltilimatcl y about fourteen ounces, that increase .zation of my protective strip will be approxiof the tires weight is inconsequential in view of the fact that absolute prevention of the puncturing ot' the air-tube is attained, while insuring to the tire formation all requisite 5*resilie'ney and elasticity and pliabi'lity, and

the life of the tire'is very. evidently exceedingly increased.

Whether a single or. a double tube tire be employed, the applicability ofthe mail-like" puncture-preventing strip is the same, theessential matter being such disposal or interposition thereof as will insure no opportunity for the penetration .of the points of tacks,

'&c., into the air-chamber of the tire.

Obviously the employmentof the flexible mail-strip as a barrier against penetration of the air-tube admits of the utilization of a much thinner and lighter air-tube, as shoe-or covering as well, there being no liability of detrimental perforating ofthe tire embodying in its formation said defensive strip.

nated scale-like formation continuous with the portion it covers, andconsisting of upper and lower stratas or rows of scales running both longitudinally and t-ransversely'parallel, the outer face-scales slightly overlapping each other in one direction andnon-lapping in the other, and flexibly connected, and they respectively connected to the inner-lying scales in a manner to allow of flexibility of parts,

and a flexible non-metallic backing-strip secured to and. covering the inner series of plates, all combined and operating substantially as described.

. 2. A pneumatic tire provided internally its tread portion with an annular mail-like strip comprisiuga series of metallic scales, an outer and an inner layer,:'theouter scales being 'movably connected one to the other longitudinally', and the inner'scales alternately disposed between the outer scales and yieldingly connected therewith, said plurally formed mail-like strip being capable of slight expansion or contraction longitudinally, and flexible both longitudinally and transversely, the outer scales being arranged in parallel rows, and the inner scales being disposed in paral lel rows located intermediately the outer or face rows, substantially as'and for the .pur-

- poses described.

. 3. The combination, with the tread portion 1 ofthe air-tube or, wrapper of a pneumatic tire, of a .fiexible metallic strip of annular shape seated within the elastic material of the tube or wrapper, the said strip comprising double layers or lamihze of conjointly-conneetedplates or scales disposed both longitudinally and transversely in parallel rows,- the' outer plates slightly overlapping each other in one direction, and the inner plates substantially covered by the outer plates, the outer or external plates being respectively provided with bent prongs or hooks at their opposite edges, like bent prongs or hooks forwardl y, and perforations at their opposite extremities, the forward prongs passing into and hookingly retained in the perforation of the contiguous plate, and so ont-hrough the rows of the series, the inner or backing plates having central orifices, longitudinally elongated,-

and side prongs or hooks of the external plates passing through the orifices aforesa d and flexibly retaining the outer and inner plates injuxtaposition, said protective strip being adapted to longitudinal play, and to curvature both 10 igitudinally and crosswise, all-arranged and operating substantially as de-' scribed and for the pn nposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in: presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of September, 1895.

' LEWIS J. MILLER. [L. s.] lVit-n'esses -WM. O. RAYMOND,

GEo. D. WIEDRIoH. 

